How to Dig Out a Lavender Bush

Lavender is attractive to the eyes and the nose.

Lavender is a popular garden bush not only for its lovely purple flowers and aromatic leaves, but also because lavender thrives with a minimum of attention. Although lavender is a hardy plant, it still requires considerable care to dig up a lavender bush and transplant it. If you have no intention of replanting the lavender, simply digging the plant out for disposal is good enough. However, if you want a healthy lavender bush for your troubles, planning and preparation are required. Dig up the lavender bush between late summer and mid-autumn in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10a and 10b, when the plant is not quite dormant yet. Wait until most or all the flowers on the plant have started to die, at least one month before the first frost.

1

Water the lavender bush thoroughly about two or three hours before you dig it up, to loosen up the dirt and make your digging easier. The bigger the bush, the more water you will need to reach farther down into the soil.

2

Cut a circle in the dirt around the lavender bush with the shovel, making it as wide as the widest part of the bush. Push the blade of the shovel down and once the shovel blade is about one-half to two-thirds in the ground, angle it in towards the center. Continue cutting around the circumference of the bush.

3

Work around the root ball and dirt created by your shovel cutting, until it is loose. Pry the lavender bush out with the shovel from underneath and then scoop it out.

4

Carry the lavender bush from underneath the root ball to your transplanting area.

Things You Will Need

Watering can or hose

Garden clippers

Shovel

Compost

Tip

Your lavender bush might not flower in the first year after it is transplanted. This is normal and should not be read as a sign of poor health.